Lubricating tongs

ABSTRACT

A hand tongs device providing a single workman with the capability of handling a workpiece, such as a forging, while simultaneously lubricating the dies of a press. The device comprises a pivotal set of hand tongs, at least one handle of which is a hollow tube, the hollow tube handle having nozzle openings in the wall thereof adjacent finger portions of the tongs employed to grasp a workpiece. At the other end of the hollow handle, and connected in fluid communication therewith, is a hand operable valve device, for permitting the flow of lubricant through the valve handle and openings from a pressurized source thereof, when the valve is opened.

United States Patent 1 Severs [54] LUBRICATING TONGS [75] Inventor: John W. Severs, Buena Park, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Aluminum Company of America,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

221 Filed: March 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 127,223

[52] US. Cl. ..294/ll8, 222/191, 294/106 [51] Int. Cl. ..B25b 7/22 [58] Field of Search ....294/3, 86,106, 118; 222/191;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,870,573 1/1959 Scadden ..222/l9l 1 Jan. 9, 1973 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry AttorneyElroy Strickland s71 ABSTRACT A hand tongs device providing a single workman with the capability of handling a workpiece, such as a forging, while simultaneously lubricating the dies of a press. The device comprises a pivotal set of hand tongs, at least one handle of which is a hollow tube,

the hollow tube handle having nozzle openings in the wall thereof adjacent finger portions of the tongs employed to grasp a workpiece. At the other end of the hollow handle, and connected in fluid communication therewith, is a hand operable valve device, for permitting the flow of lubricant through the valve handle and openings from a pressurized source thereof, when the valve is opened.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED AN 9 I975 FIGZ.

INVENTOR John W. Severs ATTORNEY LUBRICATING TONGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a hand tong arrangement having means for lubricating devices (the dies of a forging press, for example) employed in the performance of work on workpieces to be handled by the tongs.

In the forging of metal ingots in presses requiring lubrication of its associated dies, it is usually necessary to first lubricate the dies with a suitable oil before the ingot is disposed in the press and the ingot forged. This has required the continuous presence and work of at least two workmen in order to obtain a reasonable amount of production, the first workman lubricating the dies with a hand gun or other suitable oiling device when the second person removes the ingot from the press with a set of hand tongs. With the dies thus lubricated, another ingot is disposed in the press, and the press actuated to perform again the forging operation.

In such a forging operation, it would be highly desirable, from an economic standpoint, to have a single workman perform both functions, i.e., remove the forged ingot and lubricate the dies of the press without a decrease in the production of the forgings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention accomplishes this by providing hand tongs combined with a hand operated lubricating gun means for lubricating dies of a forging press (and similar devices for performing work on a workpiece) when the forged workpiece is being removed from the press by the tongs. In this manner, a single workman can remove the workpiece while simultaneously lubricating the dies of the press. The same workman then uses the tongs to locate another workpiece in the press. A second workman is unnecessary thereby providing a considerable savings in labor without a consequent decrease in production. 4

The hand tong-lubricating gun permitting such an operation and saving comprises a single hand tong device with one handle thereof being a hollow tube or pipe having nozzle holes therein near the tong (finger) portions of the device which grasp the workpiece, and a hand operated valve attached to the hollow handle and connected in fluid communication therewith for directing a liquid lubricant to and through the tube and holes from a pressurized supply of the lubricant connected to the hand valve.

The hand operated valve preferably comprises a dual valve arrangement that is operated by a single hand lever, the initial movement of which is effective to open a first valve for directing a stream of gas, such as air, through the tube and holes. With further movement of the lever, a second valve is opened which directs liquid lubricant through the tube and holes. In this manner, lubricant can be purged from the tube and holes to maintain them in a clean operative condition, as well as providing a metered mixture of air and lubricant for precise control and atomization of lubricant flow.

THE DRAWING The invention, along with its objectives and advantages, will best be understood from consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is a side elevation view of a lubricating hand tong device constructed in accordance with principles of the invention; and I FIG. 2 is a plan view of a hollow handle and a hand valve fonning a part of the tong device of FIG. 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, at least one of the handles (handle 15 in the drawing) is a hollow member having a plurality of nozzle holes 18 near the end of the handle adjacent the fingers l2 and 13 of the tongs 10. The other end of the handle 15 is provided with a hand operated valve device generally designated 20, the valve device including a hollow body portion 21 with a bushing 22 for threading (or otherwise) attachment to the hollow handle.

The tongs 10 are preferably made of a high strength steel, and the hollow handle 15 preferably comprises a steel tubing having its end with the nozzle holes 18 sweated onto a nub end 24 of the finger 12, the steel of the tongs and tubing and the sweated fit providing highly rugged tongs.

The valve 20 preferably comprises a device in which two valves 28 and 29 (shown in dash outline in FIG. 2) are operated by a single hand lever 26, as mentioned above, for directing a gas and a liquid through the hollow handle 15. The lever is suitably mounted for pivotal movement at 27 on the body portion 21 of the valve 20. The structure of the valve is such that in pressing the hand lever 26 toward the valve housing, the first valve 28 is opened, and, with further movement of lever toward the valve housing, the second valve 29 is opened. With release of the hand lever, which is biased by springs within the valves 28 and 29 to maintain the two valves closed, the order of closing is reversed, i.e., the second valve closes before the first valve.

One such arrangement is made by the Rimrock Company of Columbus, Ohio, and forms a part of their I-Iand Gun models 080 and 081, thoughthe present invention is'not limited to the use of the Rimrock valve.

The two valves 28 and 29 are connected in fluid communication respectively with pressurized sources (notshown) of a liquid lubricant and'a gaseous medium, such as air, respectively by hoses 32 and 33, as shown in FIG. 2.

In using the lubricating tongs 10, as thus far described, a lone workman and operator of say a forging press (though the invention is not limited thereto) places a workpiece (not shown) in the press with the tongs 10. The press is then operated to forge the workpiece, and, when the forging process is completed, the press is opened to expose the dies and the forged workpiece. The operator then grasps the workpiece again with the tongs to remove the workpiece from the press. This is preferably accomplished by moving the tongs with the workpiece through the press so that the workpiece is removed from the side of the press opposite to the side the workpiece was inserted. In this manner, as the tongs are moved through the press, and the workpiece is released by the workman, the holes 18 in the hollow handle 15 are aligned with the die cavities. The workman then squeezes the hand lever 26 which opens the valves 28 and 29 to allow the pressurized liquid lubricant and air to flow therethrough and through the hollow handle, and out through the holes 18 therein against the faces of the dies, the pressurized air atomizing the lubricant when it leaves the holes 18. When the dies are sufficiently lubricated, as determined by the workman on the basis of die size, workpiece temperature and other variables of the forging process, the hand lever 26 is released and the flow of lubricant and air thereby cut off. The workman then withdraws the tongs to grasp and locate another workpiece in the press to begin a repeat of the above-described operating cycle.

As can be appreciated, without the tongs of the present invention, either two workmen are required, i.e., one to lubricate the dies while the other handles the workpieces, or one man is required to handle two tools, namely a lubricating gun or other suitable lubricating device, and tongs to handle the workpiece. This latter, single man operation, without the present invention, requires him to be picking up and putting down tools which thus reduces considerably his efficiency and production.

With the present invention, neither the second workman is required nor the inefficient handling of lubricating guns and work handling tongs. Rather, the single lubricating tongs of the invention is effective to perform both the lubricating and placing operations with an essentially single handling of the tongs, the opposed nozzle holes 18 allowing simultaneous lubrication of upper and lower dies.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hollow handle 1-5 is a steel tube having a one-half inch outside diameter with a 0.083 inch wall thickness. The holes 18 were seven in number of 1/16 of an inch diameter and spaced apart one and one-half (1-56) inches along the tube on the sides of the handle as indicated in FIG. 2.

v The ratio of atomizing air pressure to lubricant pressure was found to be solely dependent on the size and number of the holes 18. For example, in starting with a psi of air pressure and a zero psi of lubricant pressure, lubricant pressure was simply increased until a desired volume of lubricant flow through the holes 18 was attained. In the' case where the two pressures become equal and more lubricant is needed, a simple reduction in air pressure will provide the needed increase in lubricant flow. Further, lubricant volume and atomization can be controlled to the extent that blow out is not required.

From the foregoing description it should now be ap parent that new and useful lubricating hand tongs have been disclosed, the lubricating hand tongs providing a substantial savings in labor without reducing the production capabilities of a single workman using the tongs.

Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details ma be made without dles with respective cooperating fingers for gripping and handling workpieces, and means pivotally connecting the two handles and fingers together,

at least one of said handles being a hollow tubular structure having a plurality of holes provided therein at the end thereof adjacent said fingers and on the handle side of the means pivotally connecting the handles and fingers together,

a hand operated valve attached to the other end of said hollow tubular handle for admitting lubricating fluid to the hollow handle, the handle being effective to direct the fluid to the holes in said hollow handle.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the plurality 

1. In combination, hand tongs comprising two handles with respective cooperating fingers for gripping and handling workpieces, and means pivotally connecting the two handles and fingers together, at least one of said handles being a hollow tubular structure having a plurality of holes provided therein at the end thereof adjacent said fingers and on the handle side of the means pivotally connecting the handles and fingers together, a hand operated valve attached to the other end of said hollow tubular handle for admitting lubricating fluid to the hollow handle, the handle being effective to direct the fluid to the holes in said hollow handle.
 2. The combination of claim 1 in which the plurality of holes provided in the hollow handle are located on opposed sides of the handle.
 3. The combination of claim 1 in which the one handle is a hollow steel tube. 